The funny thing about bad weather is it always seems to show up at the most inopportune moments. Bad weather is the great canceller of picnics, hikes, pool parties, and boat trips. It seems to know precisely when your event has been scheduled for, and is the only guest that never shows up late. Many times I have stood outside just minutes before one of my family’s outdoor events, looked to the sky, and said to myself, “Please don’t rain. Please don’t rain. Please don’t rain!” And every time the rain still came.

On one particular evening, recorded in Mark 4:35-41, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and set out across the Sea of Galilee. It was likely a very calm evening, suitable for sailing, as we know several other boats set out as well. Then it happened. At some point in the middle of the night, in the middle of the sea, the storm hit! Many of us know the story. The storm starts raging, the boat starts filling with water, the disciples begin losing their minds, and Jesus is in the back of the boat sleeping. They wake him up and basically accuse him of not caring for their well-being, to which he responds by telling the wind and waves to stop, and they stop. He then lovingly rebukes his disciples, and the text goes on to say, “…they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”

There are dozens of points, implications, and applications we can draw from this text but let’s just grab a few of them.

They were going “across to the other side.” The disciples had no idea what awaited them in the country of the Gerasenes, (the other side), and if you’ve read the beginning of Mark 5 then you know what I mean. Often times we too do not know where Christ is taking us. – What are some current areas/situations in your life that leave you feeling a bit unsure of what’s to come?

Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!” I have tried to stop the wind and rain on several occasions. It never works. They have one master and His name is Jesus.-What storms are you going through right now, and in what ways is Jesus helping you to weather the storm?

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Even though the disciples had seen Jesus perform miracles before, this particular miracle shook them to their core. Could it be that the entire trip, including their late departure time, was purposefully planned by Jesus to remind the disciples of exactly who He was?- Who then is Jesus?-Do you really believe He is capable of calming the storms you are going through?

So whether we know what lies ahead or not, we can know one thing for certain: the storms will be great, but our Savior is greater.